Any advice to convince wife lifting isnt just for men?

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  • dasher602014
    dasher602014 Posts: 1,992 Member
    Women, particularly, should be lifting weights. However, we cannot 'make' some one do something. I am sure at some point her doctor will recommend weights. The difference in bone density of lifters is amazing. Any internet search will show a positive connection between lifting weights and bone density. I am much older and just getting back to exercise, including weights.

    A quick search gave me this reference but there are plenty of studies and exercise plans online.

    http://health.clevelandclinic.org/2012/08/the-best-workouts-for-osteoporosis/
  • pinkiemarie252
    pinkiemarie252 Posts: 222 Member
    I used to do tons of cardio. I was 10 lbs lighter and 2 sizes bigger. Then I got into lifting and the rest is history. Buuuuuut if she doesn't want to, there may be no way to convince her. I don't think you said WHY she doesn't want to. Does she think it's boring? Is she intimidated by the men in the weight section? Is she afraid of looking bulky? There are lots of reasons women don't lift. It isn't for everybody :\
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
    Actually? I would mind my own business and let an adult wife mind hers.
  • rileyes
    rileyes Posts: 1,406 Member
    There are days I just want to avoid the heavy lifting. And on those days I circuit train and throw in more reps with lighter weights. Barbell lifting may just appear as grunt work to her as it does to me many days. But I think it leans me out better than anything else including running. I'm thinking, if she is not challenging herself anymore with her form of cardio, she could just be spinning her wheels. Maybe circuit training (bodyweight with some Kettlebells/Dumbbells thrown in can help her break the plateau and lead her to heavier lifting.
  • utahmomof10
    utahmomof10 Posts: 133 Member
    edited September 2015
    amyrebeccah wrote: »
    You got a lot of good advice. I'll tell you right now, nothing ever would have gotten me to do it based on needling or hints. I had to be ready to do it on my own. After I saw plenty of MFP threads and saw how much fun it looked to be getting strong, one day I told my husband I thought I might like to try it. He smiled a little, came home and bought us a power cage and Olympic barbell. He wanted to take advantage of the enthusiasm. It worked. Lifting is my fave for life.

    What can you do? This may not be what you want to hear, but don't bug her about it. If she asks questions, answer them. If she complains about lack of progress, ask her why she doesn't want to try lifting, and try to address those concerns. But otherwise, butt out.

    THIS! I'm almost 41. My husband started weight lifting last year and tried for months to convince me to start. I resisted hard, because in my cardio-bunny mind it wasn't what was going to help me reach my goal of getting back into my size 6 pants. He kept going, of course, and I started getting a little more curious. I would take cursory glances at his "Starting Strength" book and decided the information was interesting, but irrelevant for me and my goals.

    Then, one day I decided it wouldn't hurt to try it. I mean, if I hated it I could just stop, right? Besides, it was winter time and I couldn't do much of my running anyway (I hate the treadmill!), and I still needed some exercise. So I agreed to try it with him until the weather got warm enough to get back outside where I really wanted to be.

    Well, I got hooked. I got back into my cardio groove with the season change, but I've continued with the lifting, too. In fact, most of the time I'm the one making sure we don't miss a day. I've progressed in my strength, but what I love the most is the change it has made in my body composition. I'm much more toned, and even though I weigh 10 pounds more than I did this time last year, I wear the same size clothes and look and feel better in them. I've even come to terms with the fact that I will likely never fit into size 6 pants again because of my increased muscle tone, because I like what I see in the mirror so much more than I did even when I was skinny. I love seeing the definition forming in my arms/shoulders, legs, butt and waist. I still have a ways to go to meet my goal of 20% body fat (I'm not so worried anymore about what the number on the scale will be), but I definitely like the road I'm on.

    Bottom line, OP: If she's anything like me, you can't pester her into it. Just keep the option open and your fingers crossed and hopefully she'll come around.

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